Stop means for a recliner chair



March 5, 1968 s. E. GORDIN 3,371,959

5T0? MEANS FOR A RECLINER CHAIR Filed Nov. 4, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 m {E I Wzmmma/ 6-. INVENTOR March 5; 1968 s. E. GORDIN 3,371,9 9 STOP MEANS FOR A RECLINER CHAIR 7 Filed Nov. 4, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet z l NVENTOR 5444061. EDWARD CORD/IV .4 from s r:

United States Patent Ofiice 3,371,959 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 3,371,959 STOP MEANS FOR A RECLINER CHAIR Samuel E. Gordin, Fort Smith, Ark, assignor to Hickory Spring Manufacturing Co., Inc, Hickory, N.C., a corporation of North Caroiina Filed Nov. 4, 1966, Ser. No. 592,032 6 Claims. (Cl. 297-310) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLQSURE This invention relates generally to stop means for recliner chairs of the type having a selectively tiltable body-supporting structure mounted on a base member for rocking motion with respect thereto, wherein .the stop means is mounted on the body-supporting structure and is operative to prevent rocking of the body-supporting structure when it is in a fully reclined position while permitting rocking thereof in all other positions, and is especially applicable to swivel-type recliner chairs wherein the stop means is operative in any facing direction of the bodysupporting structure.

Recliner chairs generally include a body-supporting structure connected to a stationary base member by a linkage mechanism or equivalent structure which permits the chair occupant to select one of a plurality of positions at which the body-supporting structure assumes various angles of tilt with respect to the base member, usually including an upright position, a partially reclined or TV position, and a fully reclined position at which the body-supporting structure lies at its maximum tilt angle with respect to the base member.

Further, the body-supporting structure may be additionally arranged to rock with respect to the base member, which may be desirable in the upright and partially reclined positions but is not normally desirable in the fully reclined position and could be hazardous in that, at such position, the center of gravity of the chair and occupant is shifted rearwardly with respect to the base member such that rocking could cause further shifting of the center of gravity to the extent that the chair may tip rearwardly.

The present invention provides a unique arrangement for eliminating this undesirable rocking of the body-supporting structure at its fully reclined position, this unique arrangement being particularly advantageous in rockerrecliner chairs that permit swiveling of the body-supporting structure to allow the occupant to change the facing direction of the recliner chair. In these swivel-type recliner chairs, the present invention is operative at all facing directions of the body-supporting structure to prevent rocking thereof when it is in its fully reclined position. Moreover, the present invention provides for preventing rearward rocking motion of the body-supporting structure at its fully reclined position while also providing a reconstituted support base to hold the chair against rearward tip-ping.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the body-supporting structure of a recliner chair of the aforementioned swivel-type includes stop means mounted on the body-supporting structure at a disposition operative to prevent rearward rocking thereof at its fully reclined position in any facing direction of the bodysupporting structure, the disposition of the stop means rendering it inoperative in any other adjusted position of the body-supporting structure so that it is free to rock thereat. A further feature of the present invention which is applicable to non-swivel as well as swivel-type recliner chairs is the disposition of the aforementioned stop means so that it extends rearwardly from the body-supporting structure for cont-acting the floor surface rearwardly adjacent the base member of the chair when the body-supporting structure is at its fully reclined position for preventing rearward rocking thereof while also providing the aforementioned reconstituted support base to hold the chair against rearward tipping.

These and other features of the present invention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a recliner chair embodying the present invention with the right side frame removed to illustrate the linkage mechanism of the recliner chair;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1 illustrating in full lines the recliner chair with the body supporting structure in its fully reclined position, and diagrammatically illustrating in dash lines the position of the linkage mechanism and stop means when the body supporting structure is at its partially reclined position;

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the recliner chair illustrated in FIG. 2 with the body supporting structure at its fully reclined position; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged detail View of an alternate embodiment of the floor contacting element of the stop means of the present invention.

Referring noW in detail to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a recliner chair 10 including a body-supporting structure 12 made up of a rigid frame 14 having an upholstered back rest 16 and seat portion 18 formed therewith. A linkage arrangement, generally indicated by reference numeral 20, is provided for allowing the bodysupporting structure 12 to assume a plurality of selected tilted positions as will be explained in greater detail presently, and includes an attachment bracket member 22 secured to frame 14 and a fixed member 24 which is attached to a support piece .26 that is, in turn, secured to a cross member 28 extending across the Width of chair 10 and having chair sides 30 attached at each end thereof. This cross member .28 is mounted on the top surface of the upper element 32 of a rocker box unit 34. This rocker box unit 34 includes springs 36- interconnecting the upper element 32 With a lower element 38 in a manner which permits rocking movement of the upper element 32, all as described in greater detail in US. Patent No. 3,190,693, issued June 22, 1965. The lower element 33 of rocker box unit 34 is attached to a base member 40 by a swivel mounting, including a swivel plate 42, also described in greater detail in the aforementioned US. Patent No. 3,190,693. Thus, by virtue of the rocker box unit 34 and its swivel connection with base member 40, the body-supporting structure 12 is arranged for rocking movement with respect to base member 40 and likewise for swiveling movement which allows the chair occupant to change the facing direction of the body-supporting structure 12.

The aforementioned linkage 20 includes a pivot link 44 connected between the rearward ends of attachment bracket 22 and fixed member 24, and a bell crank link 46 having its short leg 48 connected between attachment bracket 22 and a link 50 pivoted to fixed member 24 at 52. Bell crank link 46 also forms one link of lazy tong linkage, generally indicated by reference numeral 54, that positions a foot-rest 56 during tilting movement of the body-supporting structure 12.

FIG. 1 illustrates the chair 10 in its upright position with footrest 56 in a retracted position. When it is desired to tilt the chair to its partially reclined or TV position, the occupant holds chair sides 30 and pushes the bodysupporting structure rearwardly causing attachment bracket 22 to shift from its FIG. 1 position to the phantom line position illustrated in FIG. 2 as both pivot link 44 and leg 48 pivot rearwa-rdly, the link 50 remaining in a stationary, generally horizontal position during this shifting movement.

To tilt chair to its fully reclined position at which it assumes its maximum tilt angle, the occupant again pushesagainst' chair sides causing the body-supporting structure to pivot about the connecting point between attachment bracket 22 and pivot link 44 until it reaches the full line position of FIG. 2, the link pivoting about point 52 until it abuts stop member 58. It should be noted here that linkage 20 also includes a retaining link 66 which, in the upright position (FIG. 1) of the chair it abuts against a pin 62 on fixed member 24 so as to prevent chair 10 from going directly to its fully reclined position from its upright position. However, as the chair 16 moves to its partially reclined position, the retaining link moves with bell crank link 46 so as to clear the pin 62 and allow chair 10 to be tilted to its fully reclined position.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, chair 10 also includes a rod member 64' welded or otherwise secured to each of the attachment brackets 22 so as to extend rearwardly therefrom. These rod members 64 are formed so that the extending end portion thereof will contact the floor surface rearwardly adjacent the legs 40 of base member 40 when the body-supporting structure 12 assumes its fully reclined position. This disposition of rod members 64 is therefore operative to prevent rearward rocking of the body-supporting structure at its fully reclined position, yet, in the upright and partially reclined positions, the rod members 64 are clear of the floor surface P so as to be inoperative with respect to its rocking prevention function thereby allowing the body-supporting structure 12 to rock freely at either of these positions. In addition to preventing rearward rocking of the body-supporting structure at the fully reclined position, which would cause rearward shifting of the center of gravity of the chair 10 and its occupant and thereby increase the tendency of the chair 10 to tip rearwardly, the rod members 34 also act, together with base member 40, to provide a reconstituted support base for chair 10 which is better able to accommodate the shifted center of gravity of the chair 10 and its occupant at the fully reclined position and hold the chair against rearward tipping.

It should be pointed out that the weight distribution at the fully. reclined position is such that forward rocking is normally not encountered, so that rod members 64, by preventing rearward rocking, have the effect of holding the body-supporting structure in a stationary position. Moreover, rod members 64 in the preferred embodiment are formed to hold the body supporting structure at the neutral rocker position of the rocker box unit 34.

The rod members 64 described above could obviously be used ina reclining chair which did not swivel with respect to its base member. However, such swiveling is provided for, as previously described, in the preferred embodiment of the present invention, and rod members 64 are therefore formed so that the extending end portions thereof are arranged to extend beyond base member legs 40 and to travel in a path clear of such legs during swiveling movement of the body-supporting structure at its fully reclined position or any other of its adjusted positions. Thus, rod members 64 will be operative to prevent rearward rocking of the body-supporting structure 12 in any facing direction thereof allowed by its swivel mounting. If it is desired to hold the body-supporting structure against swiveling at the fully reclined position thereof, a frictional member 66, which may be a rubber cap, is attached at the ends of rod members 64 so as to positively engage floor surface F as illustrated in FIG. 2. However, the present invention also provides an alternate structure for the rod members 64, illustrated in FIG. 4, which includes a rotational wheel member 68 mounted to swivel on the end of each of the rod members 64 whereby the body-supporting structure is entirely free to swivel at all of its adjusted positions while rod members 64 still prevent rearward rocking of the body-supporting structure at its fully reclined position.

It is also contemplated that rod members 64 could be arranged to permit alternative use of either the frictional member 66 or rotational wheel member 68, which could be snapped on the rod members 64 by the user of the chair depending on his preference.

As previously described, the rod members 64 in the preferred embodiment of the present invention are welded to the attachment brackets 22 because this provides a manufacturing advantage in that an integral metal structure is formed which can be readily attached to the body supporting structures of various forms of reclining chairs. However, it is to be understood that these rod members could be attached at any suitable point on the body-supporting structures provided, of course, they will prevent rocking thereof as contemplated by the present invention.

The present invention is not intended to be limited by the above description or otherwise except as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a rocker-swivel mounted reclining chair having a base member, a body-supporting structure, linkage means supporting said body-supporting structure on said base member for selective tilting movement with respect thereto whereby said body-supporting structure may assume a plurality of adjusted positions including a fully reclined position at which said body-supporting structure is tilted rearwardly at a maximum angle with respect to said base member, said body-supporting structure being arranged on said base member for swiveling movement with respect thereto to permit changing the facing direction of said body-supporting structure, and said body-supporting structure also being arranged for rocking motion with respect to said base member, the improvement comprising stop means mounted on said linkage means at a disposition operative to prevent rearward rocking of said body-supporting structure at said fully reclined position in any facing direction of said body-supporting structure, said disposition rendering said stop means inoperative in any other of said adjusted positions such that said body-supporting structure is free to rock thereat.

2. In a rocker-swivel mounted reclining chair of the character described, the improvement defined in claim 1 and further characterized in that said'linkage means includes a bracket member to which said body-supporting structure is attached, and said stop means includes a rod member secured to said bracket member and extending rearwardly of said body-supporting structure for contact with the floor surface rearwardly adjacent said base member when said body-supporting structure assumes said ful ly reclined position thereby preventing rearward rocking motion thereof while providing a reconstituted base to hold said chair against rearward tipping, the extending end portion of said rod member being arranged to travel in a path clear of said base member during swiveling movement of said body-supporting structure at all of said adjusted positions thereof.

3. In a rocker-swivel mounted reclining chair of the character described, the improvement defined in claim 2 and further characterized in that said stop means includes a frictional member attached at the extending end of said rod member for positively engaging said floor surface when said body-supporting structure assumes said fully reclined position to prevent swiveling movement thereof.

4. In a rocker mounted reclining chair having a base member, a body-supporting structure, linkage means supporting said body-supporting structure on said base -member for selective tilting movement with respect thereto whereby said body-supporting structure may assume a plurality of adjusted positions including a fully reclined position at which said body-supporting structure is tilted rearwardly at a maximum angle with respect to said base member, said body-supporting structure also being arranged for rocking motion with respect to said base memher, the improvement comprising stop means mounted on said linkage means and extending rearwardly of said body-supporting structure for contact with the floor surface rearwardly adjacent said base member when said body-supporting structure is at said fully reclined position for preventing rearward rocking motion thereof while providing a reconstituted support base to hold said chair against rearward tipping, said stop means being disposed to permit said body-supporting structure to rock freely at any other of said adjusted positions thereof.

5. In a rocker mounted reclining chair of the character described, the improvement defined in claim 4 and further characterized in that said linkage means includes a pair of bracket members fixed, respectively, at the sides of said body-supporting structure, and in that said stop means includes a rod member fixed to each of said bracket members for rearward extension therefrom.

6. In a rocker mounted reclining chair of the character described, the improvement defined in claim 4 and further characterized in that said body-supporting structure is arranged to rock forwardly and rearwardly of a neutral rocker position, and in that said body-supporting structure is at said neutral rocker position when said stop means is operative to prevent rocking of said body-supporting structure at said fully reclined position thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 375,840 1/1888 Stockton 248-398 547,198 10/1895 Bimeler 248-398 X 900,077 11/1908 Barnickle 297-310 912,310 2/1909 Barnickle 297-310 1,288,716 12/1918 Small 297-310 1,525,726 2/1925 Falconer 297-310 1,710,026 4/1929 McCormick 182-107 X 1,834,345 12/1931 Nelson 297-270 2,280,732 4/1942 Thum 297-310 3,093,409 6/1963 Fletcher 297-89 3,141,700 7/1964 Fletcher 297-271 3,163,464 12/1964 Martin et a1 297-271 X 3,243,226 3/1966 Katz 297-271 X 3,256,040 6/1966 MiZe et a1. 297-310 3,279,847 10/1966 Re 297-271 X BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner.

G. O. FINCH, Assistant Examiner. 

